Clawson resident Timothy Burns, shown with his daughter Maggie, supports Trick or Treasure, a special event in Clawson that provides a safe environment for children with peanut/tree nut food allergies and will also be fun to attend for those children not afflicted with food allergies.

About two years ago, Timothy Burns of Clawson was home watching his toddler twins, and decided to give little Maggie and Jack a slice of banana smeared with a tiny bit of peanut butter.

“It was under controlled circumstances,” he said.

What happened next has caused Burns to become a strong advocate for food allergy awareness. He will volunteer at Trick or Treasure, an inclusive trick or treating event on Saturdayin Clawson that will provide a safe environment for children with peanut/tree nut food allergies and welcome those children who have no food allergies.

Burns, a Troy attorney, said his daughter started crying and breaking out in hives. He hurried and gave Maggie, then nearly 2, some Benadryl.

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“But her face, neck and eyes were swelling, so I grabbed the twins and drove to the hospital,” he said.

By the time he arrived, his daughter’s throat had shut. Doctors took over and she recovered, but, said Burns, the incident made him realize how serious food allergies are.

“I hadn’t thought about it until it happened to us,” he said.

He said just recently a 13-year-old California girl with peanut allergies was camping and happened to eat a treat from the wrong container. Even though she had epinephrine to counteract her reaction, she died.

People who have the allergies suffer anaphylaxis, which, according to the Mayo Clinic, “can occur within seconds or minutes of exposure to something you’re allergic to, such as a peanut or the venom from a bee sting.

“The flood of chemicals released by your immune system during anaphylaxis can cause you to go into shock; your blood pressure drops suddenly and your airways narrow, blocking normal breathing. Signs and symptoms of anaphylaxis include a rapid, weak pulse, a skin rash, and nausea and vomiting. Common triggers of anaphylaxis include certain foods, some medications, insect venom and latex.”

Burns said he began thinking about Halloween and how trick or treating can be dangerous for kids because many types of candy contain peanuts.

He thought, “Why don’t we do something so it’s inclusive for all kids?” he said.

The Trick or Treasure event in Clawson began two years ago.

Adults pre-screen all candy so there are no tree nuts or peanuts in the sweets. They also check to see the candy wasn’t processed in containers that might have held peanut products.

Maggie, now 4, has been fine since that episode.

Burns said his child’s doctor said recently that he has seen a 100 percent increase in the number of children with food allergies.

Researchers estimate that up to 15 million Americans have food allergies, according to foodallergy.com.

This affects one in every 13 children (under 18 years of age) in the U.S. Researchers have not yet pinpointed a specific cause.

Burns said his family’s “whole world changed that day” Maggie went into shock.

“We really appreciate that Clawson is hosting a fun event where children like my daughter can enjoy Halloween just like any other kid and parents can avoid the stress of worrying about encountering something that could cause their child to go into anaphylaxis shock during this holiday season.”